Drunk on Madness - Chapter 21

“Boom! Boom!” The tranquil mountain forest was suddenly shattered by the sound of cannon fire. Zhou Mingxuan’s eyes flickered with a layer of sorrow, he knew Su Mo and Gu Ci had been captured. But he dared not linger, fearing their sacrifices would be in vain.

Li Xiang gazed at the fireworks streaking across the sky, as if she understood something. Yet she didn’t dare ask Zhou Mingxuan, only silently letting her tears fall. Her tears trickled down onto Zhou Mingxuan’s neck, making him stiffen. He halted his hurried steps and set her down, saying, “Don’t be afraid. Uncle Wang is capturing me to overthrow my father, he won’t act rashly and kill us so soon. If Father learns I’ve been captured, he’ll find a way to save us.”

Hearing this, Li Xiang felt slightly relieved and wiped her eyes haphazardly with her sleeve. “Then what should we do now?”

Zhou Mingxuan watched the tear sliding down her cheek and instinctively wiped the other side for her. “They’re setting off fireworks, they must be retreating. We-” Before he could finish, a hidden arrow shot out from the bushes.

Zhou Mingxuan pulled Li Xiang to the ground, narrowly avoiding the arrow. From the depths of the forest emerged three men in gray.

“I thought we’d return empty-handed today, but it seems there are still two fish that slipped through the net,” said one with a scar across his face.

“Boss, there’s a little lady too,” a short man chimed in, his eyes glinting with lewdness.

Zhou Mingxuan immediately shielded Li Xiang behind him. “Who are you? Why are you lurking in these mountains?” The two of them were dressed plainly, but their striking looks made them stand out from ordinary villagers. Huddled together, they resembled a married couple, making it hard for the three scouts to determine their identities.

The short man, realizing they weren’t the targets they sought, grew even bolder. “Such a pretty little lady, what a waste to bury her in these wild mountains. Why not come with us three big brothers?”

As he reached out to grab Li Xiang, Zhou Mingxuan drew his sword and severed the man’s arm in one swift motion.

A blood-curdling scream pierced the forest. Far away, Gu Ci heard the sound and grew worried, if it drew the pursuers’ suspicion, it would be disastrous. The troops were already retreating, and Zhou Mingxuan and Li Xiang couldn’t afford to be discovered now.

Gu Ci glanced at Ming Ying and asked, “Aren’t you going to check, Master Ming? Your subordinate sounded terrified, what could have scared him so badly?”

Ming Ying replied indifferently, “My only duty is to keep an eye on you. The others are none of my concern.”

Relieved, Gu Ci continued, “To capture me, Prince Chen actually mobilized so many experts, what a waste of talent.”

Meanwhile, Zhou Mingxuan, having just cut off the short man’s arm, now faced the remaining two in combat. Fighting one against two, he was clearly struggling.

Li Xiang trembled slightly, her eyes filled with terror. Suddenly remembering something, she pulled a dagger from her sleeve and, without hesitation, stabbed the short man who had harassed her, killing him instantly.

It was her first time killing someone. Her hands shook, coated in warm blood. Steadying herself, she thought, This man deserved to die.

Amid the chaotic fight, the other two men didn’t notice Li Xiang’s actions. Zhou Mingxuan, exhausted, was finally kicked against a tree by the scar-faced man, coughing up blood.

Li Xiang rushed to shield Zhou Mingxuan, pointing her dagger at the two gray-clad men. “Stay back! We’ve done you no harm, why won’t you let us go?”

The scarred man felt the short man’s pulse and found he had stopped breathing. Frowning, he said, “You’ve got quite the nerve, little girl. Daring to kill my brother.”

Li Xiang’s heart pounded like a drum as she glared fiercely at the scarred man. “He insulted me first. If he had lived, he would never have let me go.”

The scarred man chuckled. “You’re not wrong, little lady. Knowing my brother’s temperament, he definitely wouldn’t have spared a beauty like you.”

Li Xiang’s fingers trembled, the knife in her hand swaying unsteadily.

The scarred man’s eyes took on a mocking glint. “Hold it steady, little lady. Wouldn’t want the knife to drop.” With that, he snatched the dagger from her hand and pinned her to the ground. “Forgot to mention, I won’t let you go either.” He then ran his tongue along Li Xiang’s ear.

Zhou Mingxuan, severely injured, watched this scene in horror. “Let her go!” he shouted, struggling to stand, only to be stomped back down by another black-clad man.

Li Xiang glanced hopelessly at Zhou Mingxuan, suppressing her disgust as she said, “Big brother, if it’s just my body you want, you can have it. But please, don’t kill us. Can we make a deal?”

The scarred man sneered. “That depends on how well you serve me.” He flipped Li Xiang over and began tearing at her clothes.

Li Xiang grabbed his hand at her chest. “Big brother, can we not do this in front of my husband? I’m afraid he’ll despise me afterward.” Her eyes were filled with terror, tears threatening to spill.

“Too damn fussy,” the scarred man grumbled, picking her up and carrying her deeper into the woods.

Li Xiang turned her gaze to Zhou Mingxuan and silently mouthed, “Run.”

The scarred man threw her to the ground, ripping at her clothes. Li Xiang turned her face away, as if resigned to her fate.

Clutched tightly in her hand was a hairpin she had discreetly pulled from her hair. She was waiting, waiting for him to let his guard down. As her clothes were stripped away, she could bear it no longer. She thrust the hairpin toward his chest, but he dodged swiftly, leaving only a shallow cut on his waist.

“Bitch!” the scarred man roared, snatching the hairpin and throwing it aside before slapping her across the face.

Li Xiang’s cheek instantly swelled, blood trickling from her lips. Just as the scarred man was about to continue his assault, a scream echoed from nearby.

He abandoned Li Xiang and ran toward the source of the sound.

Struggling to her feet, Li Xiang gathered her torn clothes and dressed hastily, picking up the bloodied hairpin.

Another body lay on the ground, Zhou Mingxuan, pinned beneath the scarred man, his legs drenched in blood. As the scarred man prepared to deliver the final blow, Li Xiang seized a bloodstained sword from the ground and plunged it through his back.

The scarred man turned his head, his eyes filled with a hellish fury, like a demon from the underworld. Terrified, Li Xiang stabbed him repeatedly until, after several strikes, the world finally fell silent.

Zhou Mingxuan lay pale, beads of cold sweat on his forehead, his gaze locked onto Li Xiang. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes torn in several places.

Seeing the scarred man dead, Li Xiang immediately knelt to check Zhou Mingxuan’s injuries. But to her shock, he suddenly flipped her onto her back and began tearing at her clothes.

Li Xiang was stunned by his actions. A sharp slap rang out, and the air froze.

Zhou Mingxuan froze instantly, tears welling up in his eyes and spilling over, dropping one by one onto her body. Li Xiang didn’t understand why he was crying. She reached out and touched his tear-streaked face, asking, “What’s wrong with you?”

A flash of determination crossed Zhou Mingxuan’s dark eyes. Without a word, he continued his task, inspecting each piece of her clothing until he reached the pale moon-colored undergarment. With a swift motion, he tore it away.

Li Xiang hadn’t expected him to undress her at this moment, but there was no trace of desire in his eyes. She realized he was checking whether she had been violated.

She immediately covered her chest. “No, he didn’t succeed.” Zhou Mingxuan’s gaze was solemn as he stared intently at Li Xiang, as if weighing the truth of her words.

After giving her a meaningful look for a few seconds, Zhou Mingxuan suddenly pinned one of her arms and began removing her cotton skirt with the other.

Li Xiang didn’t dare struggle too hard, his legs looked severely injured. She knew he wouldn’t do anything inappropriate; he was only checking if she had been harmed.

The slight touch sent a tremor through her pupils. She stared in disbelief at the top of Zhou Mingxuan’s head, her expression complicated, her fingers clutching bits of grass so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Only after Zhou Mingxuan confirmed everything did he slowly release her. The moment she was free, Li Xiang slapped him again.

Smack! Another sharp sound.

The force of the slap easily sent Zhou Mingxuan tumbling to the ground. He didn’t get up for a long while.

Li Xiang exhaled a breath of frustration, straightened her clothes, and glanced at the unconscious Zhou Mingxuan. Resigned, she began dragging him forward.